Grenaches du Monde 2021: A traveling competition for this 9th edition!
Due to the sanitary context, the dates of the competition stages in the different Grenache capitals visited this year have been adjusted. The closing date for entries has therefore been postponed to April 15.
The latest developments in the sanitary situation make it necessary to review the progression of the visits to the 4 Grenache terroirs selected this year to organise the 4 decentralised tastings of the competition.
A clever process that respects the gestures of protection and the recommendations of social distancing and at the same time brings together four emblematic Grenache terroirs:
- On May 8, Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy
- On May 10, Cebreros in the region of Castilla y León in Spain
- On May 14, Châteauneuf-du-Pape in France
- And on May 17, Perpignan, capital of Roussillon in France
“By shifting the dates, we illustrate our flexibility and our reactivity in order to put all the chances on our side so that the competition can take place in the best possible conditions," explains Fabrice Rieu, President of the Competition. "This will also allow us to extend the entry period for the wines, which already promises some nice surprises!”
Grenaches du Monde is an annual competition open to all wines produced mainly from Grenache, without restriction of colour, origin, or nationality. Entries are open until March 31. After this date, the wines will be classified, sorted, and organised in series. They will then be sent and tasted in 4 major Grenache capitals, namely: On May 8 in Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy, on May 10 in Cebreros in the province of Ávila in Castilla y León in Spain, on May 14 in Châteauneuf du Pape in France and on May 17 in Perpignan, capital of Roussillon region.
Covering 192,455 hectares of vines, grenache ranks seventh among the most planted grape varieties in the world. Emblematic of Mediterranean countries, it ranks third in Europe with 178,628 hectares, or 93% of the world's surface area. France, Spain, and Italy are the top three producing countries, but grenache is very popular all over the world: North and South Africa, Australia, North and South America, Croatia, Greece, Lebanon, etc.
The Grenaches du Monde have an international vocation, and the ambition to make people discover the singularities and diversity of the grape variety. Each of the 4 stages of this 9th edition will present a wide range of wines from various origins: in short, a "great edition in miniature"! " We will make sure to present a coherent and diverse panel of Grenache production from different regions, European of course, but also from more distant places. Most of the judges will come from each country, including the best specialists in distribution, sommelier or wine communication", concludes Fabrice Rieu.
About the Grenaches du Monde: Created in 2013 by the Interprofessional Council of Roussillon Wines (CIVR) in Perpignan, the Grenaches du Monde competition becomes itinerant in 2016 with its first edition relocated to Aragon (Campo de Borja), then to Sardinia (2017) and Catalonia (Terra Alta, 2018). The Competition returns to Perpignan in 2019, and the following year it resumes its journey to Montpellier in partnership with Vins de Pays d'Oc, the world's leading producer of rosé grenache wines.
